Johnson OK'd for Homeland Security

The Senate confirmed former Pentagon attorney Jeh Johnson on Monday to lead the Department of Homeland Security, rounding out President Barack Obama’s second-term Cabinet.

After the 78-16 vote, Johnson will take the helm at DHS, overseeing policies such as national security, immigration, disaster response and transportation. His confirmation could bring more stability to a department that has been led by a series of acting officials in recent months.

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“At the Department of Homeland Security alone, there are 14 presidentially appointed positions that are without a permanent replacement,” Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), the chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, said Monday. “Of these, 10 require Senate confirmation. This is a condition I call executive-branch Swiss cheese.”

Johnson was nominated two months ago to replace Janet Napolitano, who left in September to lead the University of California system.

Johnson’s nomination came to the floor at a time of deep division over Obama’s picks. Republicans are fuming that Democrats changed the Senate’s rules by a majority vote to abandon the long-standing 60-vote threshold for most nominations.

The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee cleared his nomination on a voice vote, though two Republicans — Sen. John McCain of Arizona and Rand Paul of Kentucky — asked to be registered as “no” votes.

Johnson’s nomination wasn’t immune from politics. Republicans had used Johnson’s nomination as a tool to extract information from the administration on key issues. For instance, McCain — a key GOP point man on immigration — repeatedly demanded Johnson turn over information about border security and threatened a hold on his nomination.

And six Republicans who sit on the Senate Judiciary Committee asked for detailed answers from Johnson on immigration policy. Johnson responded last week, but not with the level of details that the GOP lawmakers had demanded.

The nomination of another top DHS official is pending before the Senate — Alejandro Mayorkas, who Obama chose for the deputy secretary slot at DHS.